


Life is a Game of Chess

by toramonger



Series: Life Is a Game of Chess [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: A different sort of a/b/o dynamics, F/F, F/M, Harry Potter/Harem - Freeform, I'll add tags as needed, M/M, Multi, mentions of abuse, not beta'ed, suicidal thoughts if you squint
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-04
Updated: 2016-04-13
Packaged: 2018-05-29 12:37:20
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,845
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6375043
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/toramonger/pseuds/toramonger
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There should have been a class for this sort of thing. I mean one minute he was an average (well as average as The-Boy-Who-Lived could ever be anyway) eleven year old waiting for his twelfth birthday to ring in at midnight, and the next he's waking up in Gringotts and being told he's a King...and apparently they don't mean the ruler kind either. Who the hell knew Wizards sometimes presented as what they called Chess Pieces on their birthdays. A Chess Piece is apparently someone who has an 'abnormal' magical core ...just something else about him that wasn't normal. What does his magical core have to do with chess anyway? And now he has this 'abnormal' magical core and apparently he has to find his, get this, Queens (that's right plural!) and his Chess Set (what ever that is)...why could nothing ever be simple, I mean was it too much to ask? Apparently yes yes it was, someday's he hated his life more then others...at least he now didn't have to worry about being short forever anymore...but six feet is...well its a hell of a change that's for darn sure!</p><p>A different take on A/O/B dynamics with a lot of twists...cause I felt like it. Cannon compliant up until the end of first year/start of second.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. What does Chess have to do with Anything?

Harry withered on his bed as sweat dripped down his face his back arching off the bed a silent scream echoing unheard through the house on Privet Drive. The other members of the house were blissfully unaware of the withering boy hidden by the door with its many locks and cat flap. The withering went on for hours on end it seemed leaving the youth little time to catch his breath, and not even allowing him the sweat escape of unconsciousness. When the first rays of the sun drifted in through the one small window in the room the boy finally relaxed into the sheets panting for breath his eyes sliding shut as he passed out. Unknown to the boy now dead to the world a loud snap was heard that echoed through the house waking up all of the other residents.

"BOY!" A voice bellowed as the door to the room was thrown open only for the fat man who was red in the face with his rage to stare blankly at the creature standing beside the boy on the bed, who had not moved an inch from either the snap or bellow.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU! FREAK! HOW DARE YOU BREAK INTO MY HOUSE YO..." the man started in on the strange creature only for his words to stop as his voice disappeared with a glance from the creature.

Said creature gave the man a bone chilling snarl that was filled with sharp pointed teeth "Go and get Lord King Potter's things filth." the creature snarled at the man who seemed to almost be in a daze as he wobbled and swung around. The sound of his heavy footsteps echoed through the house as he made his way to the cupboard under the stairs were he had stored the boys things when he had returned earlier that summer.

From just outside the door a horse like women and a whale of a boy cowered away from the creature terror keeping them glued to their spots as the fat man ambled back up the stairs his eyes still unfocused as he carried the trunk into the room and sat it down in front of the creature. The creature nodded before the man blinked his mind clearing as another loud snap filled the air. With a blink the fat man stared in silence at the now empty room, no trace that the freak had ever been there left behind. Shaking his head the man stumbled back and slammed the door to the room closed. "That never happened!" the man all but growled at his wife and son who nodded in agreement quickly.

 

**Time Skip**

 

Harry let out a moan as he shifted on the soft bed. He felt like he'd been run over by a griffin. His joints ached, and his head throbbed, but worst of all was the ache inside his chest. It was like his magic was bubbling and boiling just under his breast bone. Cracking open an eye he stared at the white vaulted ceiling above him. He gasped and sat strait up when he realized that was not the sealing of the Dudley's second bedroom. He groaned and place a hand on his chest as the sudden movement caused his already turbulent magic to pulse, shooting agony radiating from his core making everything feel tingly and not in a good way either. 

"Easy Lord King Potter, your core is wound tight and it will take you a few days to get used to it." a gravely voice said from his bed side causing him to jerk in shock before his head whipped around to face the owner of the voice. He blinked several times as he stared at the goblin who was...smiling? He though it was supposed to be a smile anyway...it was hard to tell with all the pointy teeth.

Shaking his head he said "Wha..." His eyes got big as he spoke before he cleared his throat and tried again "Wh...what happened?" he really wanted to know why he was...wherever he was...and why did he sound like he'd gone through puberty? I mean his voice should not be that deep! 

The goblin chuckled and said "You Lord King Potter became a King on your twelfth birthday, happy birthday by the way Lord King."

Harry frowned "A...king? I...um like the king of England or something?" He asked confused, I mean a lot had happened since last year when he first learned he was a wizard but a king? Really?

The goblin blinked at him before saying "Were you not given the book _What To Expect At Twelve: A compendium of Chess_   before your summer break?" frowning at the young man in the bed.

Harry blinked "Um...maybe?" He fidgeted at the goblin's pointed stare "I...my things..." he stuttered out unsure how to explain that his trunk, and all of the books in it, had been confiscated the moment he set foot back in 4 Privet Drive at the beginning of the summer so if he had been given that book, and it kinda sounded familiar, he would have had no way to read it....how a book about chess would have ended with him here, wherever here was...he really should ask, he had absolutely no idea.

The goblin frowned before saying "Ah yes your...relatives...this will be a much longer discussion in that case." 

Harry nodded as he absently went to adjust his glasses only to pause when his hand met nothing but his nose. He blinked before feeling around on his face with his hand his eyes getting bigger and bigger. "My...my glasses...I...I don't have my glasses on!" He said in amazement realizing just how sharp and clear his vision was for the first time since he woke up. He could make out the little details and veins running through the marbled walls. He had never seen so well, not even with his glasses, what was going on? Not that he was complaining mind you but it just wasn't normal to wake up with perfect eyes sight, and there was his voice change as well.

 The goblin nodded his head and said "Indeed you do not, that is one of the many changes you will find your Crowning has had on you." 

Harry blinked "Cro...crowning...so...I am...like a King?" he said wide eyed.

The goblin rubbed the bridge of his nose before saying "Yes a King, but no not like a king of a country as it were."

Harry frowned in confusion "I..I don't understand..." he said uncertain.

The goblin sighed before saying "In the since that your Magical Chess Class is a King. You'll find your magic has increased greatly over night along with your more physical changes."

"Physical..changes..." Harry said frowning before he looked down and his hands were he was fisting bed sheets in his hands only to pause and lift a hand up. It didn't look like his hand, it was much too big. Blinking his peaked under his bed sheets before gulping. His legs were long! Like a basketball players long or something! Looking around the room his gaze caught on a full length mirror on the wall by the door.

Standing up on wobbly feet he walked up to the mirror and stared at his reflection in shock, and maybe a little horror too. The person looking back at him was some one he had only every dared dream of becoming. His hair and eyes were the exact same, but everything else had changed. Or rather gotten bigger, a lot bigger. Gone was the scrawny under weight boy who's cloths hung off. In his place a boy who was almost six feet tall stood. His limbs weren't awkward or ungainly like a teenagers would be, he he looked like an adult!   
  
"You are for all intents and purposes an adult Lord King Potter." The goblin said. Harry startled realizing he must have said the last part out loud. "While you will still be required to complete your schooling, you are no longer considered a child by wizarding law for the most part. Which is a very good thing as you will want to find, and bind your Queens as soon as possible so that your magic settles." the goblin added.

"Wait...Queens? As in...more then one? Wha...what do you mean settles?" Harry asked a blush rising to his cheeks.

The goblin nodded "Yes more then one, most Kings have at least two. And by settles I'm sure you've noticed by now the way your magic is coiling on itself and rolling constantly."

Harry nodded and winced, he had noticed it was like his magic was trapped in a box and trying to get out but unable to and instead kept twisting on itself. The goblin nodded again before continuing "That's because it needs a Queen, a King's magic will only unravel to connect to a Queen's magic. Once you've bound your first Queen you'll be able to bind other Classes, but first you'll need to find your First Queen." 

Harry looked down at his fists and said "H...how am I supposed to do that?"

The goblin gave him that grin again, he was sure it was a grin this time before saying "You'll just know."

Well...that was helpful...not Harry though with a frown. "Wait..where am I anyway? And how did I get here the last thing I remember was being in my bed?"

The goblin nodded his head and said "You were, it is customary for Gringotts to help newly Crowned adjust to their new Classes. You are in one of our Class rooms. You'll spend the rest of your summer here learning how to adjust to your new Class.


	2. Black or White it doesn't matter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> don't expect updates as often as this! Xd I'm horrible sometimes (ask the readers of my other story) but hopefully I'll keep a good pace now on with the show!

Harry blinked he was staying at Gringotts?...for the rest of the summer? He wanted to grin at not having to go back to Privet Drive, but for all he knew this could be a worse situation.   
  
The goblin chuckled at the many expressions crossing the youth's face before pulling out a blank sheet of parchment "First on your list of things to do is a blood test to see if you've met any of your Set from there we'll discuss what you'll be doing for your stay here."

Harry stared at the parchment before looking up at the goblin and asking "Um yeah...how do I do that exactly?"

The goblin blinked before sighing, really what were they teaching children these days that by the age of twelve a wizard didn't know how to preform a simple blood test. "Cut your finger and let three drops, just three mind you fall onto the paper it will do the rest of the work." He said producing a small dagger and offering it to the young wizard.

Harry sighed as he took the dagger. Why did everything have to hurt? I mean why could they use something else, like spit. Spit had DNA in it, at least he thought it did anyway. Shaking his head he cut his thumb on the sharp edge of the blade before holding over the parchment. Once three drops had fallen he placed his wounded thumb in his mouth and waited. His eyes went wide as the blood swirled around on the page before words as red as the blood formed on the paper.

Chess Set: **King Harry James Potter**

_White Queen:_ 2 met/Unknown

 _Grey Bishop:_ 1 met/Unknown

 _Black Knight:_ 1 met/Unknown

 

"What does it mean?" Harry said staring at the paper the words doing little more then confusing the already confused twelve year old.

The goblin nodded as he looked over the paper before answering him. "It means you've met two of your queens, both with white cores. The other two mean that not only have you met but you've earned the respect of a Grey Bishop, and a Black Knight. By earning their respect you have effectively claimed them as part of your set, even though the official bond has not yet been done with them.

Harry gaped at the goblin before his eyes were drawn back to the paper "But I'm not black! Why would a black knight be part of my Set?" he said frowning.

The goblin rolled his eyes and snapped his fingers causing a large book to appear "I suggest Lord King Potter that you familiarize yourself with the second chapter of this book in the near future! Black, White, and Grey have nothing to do with what you'd think! You wizards and your good is light and evil is dark, you think evil can only survive in the dark? Ha!" the goblin grumbled.

Before Harry could respond the door to the room was thrown open by a female, he was pretty sue it was female, goblin who proceeded to speak in rapid fire...goblin? Goblinish?...he really should listen to Hermonie more he was pretty sure she'd mentioned the name of the goblin's language at some point. He was shaken out of his musings by his goblin, he had started thinking of him as his anyway...he should probably ask his name at some point, standing and turning to him.

"I have pressing matters I must attend to you read chapter two." The goblin said before turning to follow the other goblin.

"Wait!" Harry said causing his goblin to stop and look at him. "Aren't you supposed to be, um helping me?" he ended on a meek note looking down at his bare feet.

The goblin sighed before saying "Normally yes, unfortunately not all are happy about the Class their children Crown into. One such child has just been brought in, we've had a rough time getting to him due to the charms on his residence. Luckily another of his Class is a good friend of his and was able to finally bring him in. I have to go see what needs be done for the young man, and hope that his core was not damaged." So saying in a somewhat sad voice the goblin left the now silent boy.

Harry sat on the edge of the bed holding the book to his chest. It could have easily been him...if the goblins hadn't got him...he didn't want to think what Uncle Vernon would have done. He shook the shiver from his frame before opening the book and after skimming the index turned to chapter two to find out what the goblin had thought he should know.

 

###  _Chapter 2_

_ Chess Cores _

_The next thing we should discuss is perhaps the Chess Class Core's. Based on the type of core a Class will either be classified as Black, White, or Grey. Now you might think that such terms mean Evil, Good, or Neutral that is not however the case at all. To explain just what these colors represent we will need to go over each core type more in-depth._

_ Black Cores _

_Black is often associated with evil, or dark if you were. Due to this perception those with Black Cores often hide what they are for fear of repercussions, or even because they are ashamed to have been classified as having a Black Core. As previously stated this is a completely unfounded, and untrue perception. The simple fact of the matter is that a Black core equals and emotional person._

_When a person's decisions are based on their emotional, or gut reactions they have a Black core._

_ White Cores _

_White, as apposed to Black, is often associated with good, or light. As you might have guessed from the truth behind a Black core, this perception is incorrect as well. In truth no core is truly evil or good. To classify someone as such simply because of their core is as preposterous as saying all red heads are evil. It is just a characteristic like any other, as common as having blue eyes or brown. Simply put White core's are more logical._

_When a person's decisions are based on logical, or though out choices they have a White core._

_ Grey Cores _

_Grey cores are different in apposed to Black or White Cores as they they do not go with just one type of reaction. They act based on what they feel, as well as thinking though their actions. Grey cores are as a result the most balanced of the core classes, but they are also the most rare as to balance these two sides takes great focus and the conscious decision to due so. Unlike white or black cores no one is born Grey, and all cores can become Grey._

_It should be noted that the only Class that is exclusively Grey is that of the King. This is believed to be because the King's magic must integrate with all of their Set regardless of their Core color._

 

He flopped back onto the bed and stared at the ceiling as he thought about what he had read the book laying on his chest. He was Grey then, according to the author he had to be he was a King after all. Frowning he sighed it made some since, but it was hard to take in. He sat up and pulled the parchment he'd sat beside him up so he could stare at it. So his two Queens were logical? And he apparently had a...he supposed rounded was the best term Bishop, and of course there was his emotional Knight. He wondered who they were, and what did the Unknown behind the met mean? I mean they couldn't be unknown if he'd met them right?

Frowning in confusion he decided to see what else the book held rather then dwell on the confusing message. Humming he ran a finger over the index before shrugging his shoulders and turning to the chapter marked Bonds. He flipped through a few pages absently before his eyes landed on a random sentence.

_When both the King and the Queen are female the device used to bond them is called...._

He slammed the book shut his face beet red. Well...now he knew that Kings could be female...and if Kings could be female...it would make since that Queens could be male...what exactly had he gotten himself into...maybe he should have just stayed eleven forever...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Both exerts came straight from What To Expect At Twelve: A compendium of Chess...although the last exert doesn't have a chapter yet ^~ hope you guys liked it! any guesses at who our white Queens might be? Or maybe you know who our Grey Bishop and Black Knight are? Xd


	3. White Walls

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And onto the next chapter! wrote this one kinda fast, mentions of thoughts of suicide if you squint! you've been warned

Harry stared at the sealing for a while before his eyes strayed back to the book still clutched in his hands biting his lip. Well chapter two hadn't been so bad...and its not like he had to actual read...that chapter right? Right! So thinking he opened the book back up, min as well start at the beginning if he was ever going to get any of this. He thought to himself turning to page one and beginning to read.

**Time Skip**

Harry traced the words defined at the end of the chapter. Crowning, he supposed that made since I mean he was supposedly a King now. Although without an actual crown...at least he didn't think there was an actual crown. Maybe he should ask his goblin when he came back...if he came back that is. It had been at least three hours since he had left. Although Harry had nothing to really tell time with he was sure it had to have been at least that long. 

Biting his lip he looked around the room. It was pretty bare just the plain bed with its white sheets, the single chair the goblin had been sitting in, the floor length mirror, and the door. Everything was in white, white sheets, why marble walls, white door. In other word it was boring. He frowned as he  stood up setting the book on the bed.

He really hoped the goblins had taken the time to get his stuff before taking him from Privet Drive, and what about Hedwig? Surly they hadn't left her behind! He fought down panic at the thought rushing to the door to try and get some answers. He blinked at the darkness that greeted him. The door lead to a narrow hall made out of more marble that went on for as far as the young wizard could see in either direction.

He looked back and forth trying to decide which way to go. It would be nice if there was someone to ask, but the hall was empty. Frowning he picked a random direction and began walking. Hopefully his goblin wouldn't get to mad at him for leaving his room, but he really needed to ask about Hedwig. He walked for a while in the dark corridor pausing several white doors along the way.

He stopped at each one only to hesitate before moving on, something keeping him from opening them. Probably warded to keep people out he reasoned to himself before he stopped in front of the next door. It looked no different then any of the other doors, but it felt different. He frowned even as his hand stretched out almost as if on a string and opened the door.

He hesitated a moment before stepping inside the dark room. His green eyes scanned the room, it was identical to his. Well almost identical anyway. He slowly moved to the side of the bed. It was like he was being pulled by an unseen force. With his life, and all the things he can't seem to keep from happening that should have scared him, but it didn't. 

**Severus Snap POV**

Snape let out a sigh as he walked the dark halls. It had taken him more then two months to get Lucus to let him into the Malfoy Mannor. He walked faster as he thought of the frail form he had arrived with earlier that day. He'd had to go to Hogwart to retrieve some of his more potent potions after he'd been sure his charge would survive. How he'd survived the hell Lucus had put him trough the older wizard wasn't quit sure. Maybe it was just the luck of the young, or maybe it was stupidity. 

Who would want to live this kind of life? He had often wondered himself why he had not simply taken the way out. Shaking his head to clear the dark, well darker then normal anyway thoughts he paused outside of the door to his charges room frowning.

He drew his wand as he slipped quietly though the cracked door years of hiding in the shadows making him almost invisible. He swished his wand sending a wordless Stunner at the figure standing over his charges bed. He didn't let his shock show as the figure turned to look at him over his shoulder, the stunner seemingly slipping off of the figure like water off a ducks back. It took years of control to keep his calm facade as he stared into glowing green eyes that seemed to stair into his soul and demand he spill his secrets.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> dun dun dunnnn I can't think of anything else to put here...might be because my hands are itching to start the next chapter

**Author's Note:**

> And that's the beginning! I already have Harry's first two Queens picked out but I'm considering adding more humm any suggestions? :D Also I'm going to be doing a 'story' that is in fact What To Expect At Twelve: A compendium of Chess, I think it will help, and I'll probably use exerts from it over here from time to time. So let me know what you think!


End file.
